i 
Pa 
FietD MEETINGS. 181 
but it is disappointing that no modern record exists of her 
appearance. 
James V. and James VI. were both visitors to Amisfield. 
In the Antiquarian Museum at Edinburgh are shown two posts of 
bed which the latter sovereign is said to have occupied during one 
of his journeys to England. A visit of the earlier James is 
associated with the story of a dramatic personal exercise of his 
prerogative as the fountain of justice. | While on a progress 
through the borders, it is said, he received a complaint that 
Charteris had turned a deaf ear to a poor widow’s appeal for help 
when a party of English raiders had carried off her son and two 
cows, that formed her whole living. Leaving his retinue at a 
distance, he approached Amisfield alone, tethered his horse to a 
tree, and going to the door on foot, he there “ tirled at the pin.”’ 
Charteris was at dinner and refused to be disturbed. Even when 
the porter was bribed to carry a message that the English had 
come over the Border and the beacon should be lighted, he 
threatened the fate of Haaman to any who should dare again to 
disturb him. Then King James blew his horn, summoned his 
men, and sent in a message that he had been refusing admission 
to “the Gudeman of Ballengeich.’’ All then was obsequiousness 
on the part of the baron, but he was told that he must rescue 
the widow’s son and restore to her tenfold what she had lost, or 
he would be hung as high as Haaman. An ancient stump is 
still pointed out in the grounds as the remnant of the tree that 
served his Majesty for a tethering post. 
A little way west of the tower is a camp, in form of an oval 
shaped piece of slightly raised land, surrounded with ditch and 
rampart, and on it are some stones suggestive of foundations of 
buildings. It is possible that there is here the site of the original 
castle of Amisfield. In the “ Statistical Account of Dumfries- 
shire ’’ it is suggested that this “ may possibly have been a Roman 
station, where a cohort or two may occasionally have been placed. 
What renders this more probable is that the old Roman road from 
Burnswark by Trailflat passed close by.”’ 
Before leaving Amisfield a short business meeting was held 
under the presidency of Dr Martin, Holywood. The Rev. A. G. 
M’‘Kinnon, Lochmaben, and Mr J. R. Wilson, solicitor, San- 
quhar, expressed the thanks of the society to Mr and Mrs Farish 
for the opportunity afforded to see the interesting old tower and 
